


Never Fade in the Dark

by grayduality



Category: My Chemical Romance
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-07
Updated: 2015-07-25
Packaged: 2018-04-08 02:54:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4288065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grayduality/pseuds/grayduality
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When a new, mysterious stranger walks into Gerard's life, everything changes. Who knows how things will end up playing out. Will he fall in love? Or will he be left heartbroken?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Start - Gerard

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my first Frerard fic and my first on AO3. I've written other but let's not talk about those. So I hope you enjoy this first chapter and let me know what you think! Hopefully I will have another chapter up soon!

“Gerard get your ass up! You’re going to be late for your last first day of high school!” Gerard groaned as he rolled over away from the pounding on his door from his younger brother. He had been dreading this day since his junior year had ended almost three months ago. Slowly, he dragged himself out of bed and grabbed the first pair of jeans he could find. After sleepily throwing on clothing, Gerard stumbled out of his room in the basement to crawl up the stairs toward the smell of his mother’s cooking.

“Well look who finally decided to join us!” Donna Way laughed as Gerard slumped into his usual chair at the table, across from the youngest Way. All he could give in return was a mumble about how “school starts too early”. With a bright and cheerful laugh, Donna set down a plate of eggs and bacon in front of her eldest son.

“So are you ready for senior year?” Mikey asked his older brother as he picked up his glass of water. Gerard simply shrugged and looked at Mikey intently. He noticed how grown up his younger brother was beginning to look.

“Are you ready for junior year? Lots of pressure you know.” Mikey wasn’t even phased by the question fully knowing how well Gerard had done and knowing he could do even better.

“Of course I am,” he said as he pushed his glasses up on his face. Silence fell over the two as they listened to their mother hum as she began to clean up from making breakfast.

* * *

 

Walking back into the high school was a punch in the face for Gerard. Now, Gerard Way was actually a lot more popular than he thought he was. Everyone knew who he was and everyone actually wanted to know him. With a school that focused more on the arts rather than sports, the musical genius was naturally the most well-known in the school. So as he headed to his locker, people on either side of him would greet him and he would kindly answer with a smile. 

As he and his brother reached their lockers, the lack of sleep began to catch up with Gerard. And Mikey noticed. 

“G are you okay?” he asked as Gerard leaned his forehead against the closed locker. 

“Yeah, I just didn’t get much sleep last night.” A shiver ran through him as he remembered what happened the previous night. 

“Are you having nightmares again?” Mikey’s face twisted up in concern as he watched his brother open his locker and shove his jacket inside. 

“Worse. I begin to feel like I can’t breathe and like my chest is collapsing it. It’s terrifying Mikey. I’m always waking up thinking that I’m dying until I can finally calm myself down.” The silence between the two would have been deafening had there not been a school full of other students around them. Mikey simply watched with worry as Gerard sighed and walked off to his first class of the day. The entire walk and through his first four classes, his head never stopped pounding making it hard to focus on anything that any of the teachers taught. 

By the time lunch rolled around, all Gerard wanted to do was go home and forget the rest of the world even existed. He approached his usual table where Mikey already sat with their friend Ray. The two were talking about whether bass or guitar was the better instrument when Gerard sat down. 

“All I’m saying is that music is nothing without bass lines. They are a fundamental part of a song just like the drums! Hey Gerard,” Mikey rambled on. Gerard only nodded as Ray furthered the bickering. 

“But you can play bass lines on a guitar! You can do both! Your argument is invalid Mikey, face it.” After Mikey promptly stuck his tongue out at Ray, the two focused on Gerard who sat with his head in his hands. 

“What’s going on G? You look like you’re going to pass out,” Mikey questioned rubbing soft circles comfortingly on his brother’s back. Gerard’s long, bright red hair swayed back and forth as he shook his head. 

“My head is killing me and I don’t know why,” he mumbled through his hands.

“Well, at least there is only two more classes right? And at least the last class of the day is music,” Ray chimed in. That was true, as much as everyone hated their other classes, having a music class that was basically free time to play for them made up for it. Gerard nodded slightly which allowed the other two to continue their previous debate. 

When the bell rang twenty minutes later, everyone began their trudge to their fifth period classes. Gerard had just gotten up when he felt his brother’s arms around him. 

“Everything is going to be okay G. I promise.” Hearing Mikey’s voice in his ear allowed him to relax a bit. Only art and music left he thought to himself. He nodded into Mikey who let go and walked off to his next class. 

As soon as Gerard walked into the art room, he immediately felt at ease. He took in the sharp smell of fresh canvas and paint. The familiar scents forced a smile to form on his face as he walked to his seat and pulled out his sketch book. As he put his pencil to the paper, everything began to come together. Every line was perfect and exactly what he wanted. Even with all the noise, everyone left him alone allowing him to get so caught up in his art all period that he didn’t notice when the bell rang.

“Um, Gerard?” Gerard’s head snapped up at the sound of his teacher’s voice. It took him about two seconds to realize that everyone had left the class. 

“Oh, uh, sorry! I guess I didn’t hear the bell ring,” he said laughing nervously at Ms. Anderson. He quickly packed up his supplies and ran to the music room. Surprisingly, he made it to the room before the bell rang and headed straight to where Ray and Mikey were sitting waiting for him. 

“Hey did you run here?” Ray asked as Gerard began to catch his breath. He nodded and huffed a little before explaining what happened. All he wanted was to be able to get to the piano and begin playing. His fingers were itching to run themselves over the black and white keys to create elegant sounds that were taught to him by his grandmother. But something happened that Gerard never would have guessed would happen. 

_He_ showed up.


	2. New Beginnings, Again - Frank

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So long chapter because I had more to talk about with Frank and his side of everything!  
> Enjoy!

“Are you ready for your first day?” Frank heard as he shuffled into the kitchen sleepily. His mother stood making breakfast for the two of them. “Junior year. Wow, my baby is growing up!”

“Eh, I guess. Nothing I can do I guess,” he mumbled as he searched the fridge for something to drink. Frank wasn’t exactly thrilled to be starting his junior year at _another_ new school. He and his mom had moved four times in the past year and a half since his mother lost her job making this the fifth high school. His father had died when Frank was ten and his mother couldn’t bear to remarry.

“Well, hopefully this will be the last high school you have to go to,” his mother said quietly, understanding the grumpy teenager’s attitude. She wasn’t exactly the happiest to move her son so much and force him to meet new people, but every job she seemed to find seemed to crumble all too quickly. She watched as Frank grabbed a piece of toast and started to walk away.

“That’s what you said the last time.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

The first time Frank had walked into a new high school, he was terrified. At his first high school, he was well-known, friends with almost everyone. Hearing that he had to pick up his entire life and move was devastating. Walking down the hall alone for the first time had been the second worst experience of his life, the first being his father’s death. Being alone had triggered something in him making his stomach churn. He felt hopeless. It was, unknowingly, the onset of his spiral into depression.

Now, walking into this new high school was something he was used to. He knew exactly how to go about it. Stay quiet, go to every class, don’t interact with anyone other than teachers unless necessary. And this is exactly what he did as he walked down the hall of Belleville High School. As he walked to the office, he noticed a few other students staring at him. A sickening feeling ran through his stomach as he flipped the hood of his black hoodie onto his head and lowered his head allowing his long hair to fall in his face. This wasn’t normal, normally he was invisible.

He found his way into the office and slipped in quickly, trying to escape the curious eyes of his peers.

“Well hi there! How can I help you?” the secretary asked cheerfully. Frank internally cringed at how overly happy she was.

“Um, I’m Frank. Frank Iero. New student. I was told to come here to get my schedule.” Frank gripped the ends of his sleeves in an attempt to stop his hands from shaking, something that hadn’t happened in a while, at least not in public anyway.

“Ah yes! Mr. Iero! Here is your schedule and locker number along with a map of the school so you don’t get lost! If you have any questions, feel free to come back here! Hope you have a great first day!” The joy in the secretary’s voice starkly contrasted Frank’s mood creating an almost eerie atmosphere in the office. He took the papers and quickly thanked the secretary before walking out studying the papers.

Frank was so focused on the paper he held in his hands that he didn’t see the tall and lanky blonde walking directly at him until it was too late. With a loud thud, Frank found himself on the ground, out of breath.

“Oh I am so sorry man!” the blonde exclaimed as he scrambled to his feet. Frank groaned and rolled over. This was not the way he had expected his first day to go. He felt his breathing start to pick up as his anxiety began to set in. “Here let me help you up.”

A hand was shoved near his face and Frank hesitantly took it. The other boy helped him up and continued to apologize profusely.

“Hey, it’s okay. It was my fault,” Frank said lightly. He jerked his head slightly to push his hair back across his face.

“I mean I shouldn’t have been looking at my phone the whole time! It’s both of our faults okay?” The boy smiled when Frank nodded slightly. “Cool, well I’m Mikey. Mikey Way.”

“Frank. Frank Iero.” Frank’s voice shook slightly and it was obvious that Mikey heard it.

“So, where were you headed then Frank?” Mikey asked in a comforting manner. By now Frank had been able to slow his breathing down and was actually starting to relax around this stranger. As much as he didn’t want to get attached to anyone knowing very well that he might move again, he felt himself being drawn to Mikey. Nobody had ever been this nice to him so quickly since he first moved. Maybe making one friend wouldn’t be too bad.

“Oh I was just trying to find my locker and then I was going to go to class.” Mikey pointed to the papers Frank held in his shaking hands.

“May I?” he asked quickly. Frank nodded and handed the papers to Mikey who looked them over with curiosity. “Hey we have a few classes together including first period! And your locker isn’t too far from mine! Why don’t I show you around a bit?”

Frank bit his lower lip hesitantly and thought the situation over. Letting Mikey show him around wouldn’t be disastrous right? He nodded again and the two set off.

“So, new school your junior year? How did that happen?” Mikey questioned as they made their way down the hall. The question came as a surprise to Frank. Nobody had ever cared enough to ask why he had shown up at their school. He didn’t really know how to handle the situation. Did he lie and make up some excuse? Or did he tell Mikey the truth and allowing himself to be vulnerable to someone? The confusing comfort that Frank felt around Mikey forced him to tell the truth.

“We had to move. My mom lost her job. Again. This is my fifth high school,” he said quite bluntly. He would rather be honest in a to-the-point way rather than avoid the problem trickily and attempt to gain sympathy.

“That’s really rough man. I hope you don’t have to move anymore! You seem to be a pretty cool person!” A small smile crept its way onto Frank’s face with the compliment. That was another thing new to him. He was never complimented by anyone other than his own mother.

“Thanks. I hope so too. Moving just complicates everything. Have you always lived here?” Frank asked coming out of his shell a bit. Mikey nodded and also smiled a bit, happy to see the shorter boy opening up a little more.

“Born and raised! I know every inch of this town like the back of my hand. My brother and I used to love exploring everywhere we could.” There was an obvious excitement to Mikey’s voice that told Frank he and his brother were close.

“How old is your brother?” Frank questioned, his curiosity getting to the better of him. He figured that if Mikey’s brother was anything like Mikey himself, he would also be able to get along with him pretty well.

“Seventeen. He’s a senior this year. I’m only fifteen but I’m turning sixteen next month so he is only just over a year older than I am. How old are you?” The fact that Mikey’s brother was only just over a year older than Mikey made sense. The way he talked about his brother made it clear that they were also best friends.

“Fifteen as well. Sixteen on Halloween,” Frank answered quietly. He scanned the hallway as they walked and wondered how much further his locker could be.

“Halloween? That’s so cool! Oh, here’s your locker.” Mikey stopped next to the locker labeled 325. “Mine is 320 so I’m just a few down. Gerard’s is 319, so on the other side of me.”

“Gerard?” Frank asked slightly confused. Mikey hadn’t mentioned anyone named Gerard to him. Though he really liked the name.

“Oh yeah, my brother. I guess I forgot to mention his name huh?” Mikey laughed nervously. Frank simply nodded and chuckled softly as he opened his new locker. Mikey just watched him as Frank placed his books in the locker the same way he watched Gerard before his brother had walked away. The bell finally rang and the two began their walk to their shared first period, English. “Hey, so if you want to sit with Gerard, myself, and our friend Ray at lunch, you’re absolutely welcome to! And if you ever need anything or any help, you can always come to me okay?”

“Thank you. I think today I’m going to try to find my way around but maybe tomorrow?” Mikey nodded understandingly as he led Frank toward their class.

“That makes sense! So I saw you have music last period, with me. What do you play?” The question struck Frank with excitement. He absolutely loved everything music and could talk about it all day. It made him even more excited to know that he would know someone in the class.

“Guitar. My father bought me my first acoustic when I turned eight. What do you play?” A smile grew on both of the boys’ faces as they began their discussion about music, Frank’s only slightly somber as he thought about his father.

“Bass. I started out playing guitar, but I switched over a few years ago. I just love the sound it produces and what great bass lines add to songs.” The two chatted about their respective instruments until they finally reached English where they sat and discussed their favorite bands until the late bell rang.

 

* * *

 

 

The day rolled by faster than Frank expected. It turned out that he and Mikey shared four classes total throughout the day. At lunch, Frank just wandered the halls marking out where everything he needed was and tracing the path he would typically walk every day. Everyone was a lot nicer than he had expected and people actually noticed him as the new kid. Some would hold short conversations with him while others simply just nodded and smiled at him.

Sixth period arrived and Frank was more than excited to make his way to the music room. Over the course of the day he had heard Gerard’s name float around a few times and he soon learned that Gerard was the most well-known student at the school. Mikey had mentioned that his brother played piano and sang, which Frank then deduced as being his claim to fame in the school. To finally be at an art driven school was a breath of fresh air. He had never played sports and hated that nobody anywhere else seemed to care about music or anything creative.

When he finally arrived at the classroom, he was speechless. There were so many shiny and new looking instruments as well as high tech equipment to go along. On either side of the room, he could see doors that led into full sized studios to record in. He scanned the room and found Mikey next to two guys who he assumed to be Ray and Gerard. With Mikey extensively talk about the two, it was easy to tell who was who. As he made his way over to the group, Mikey noticed him and waved with a smile on his face.

“Hey Frank! Ray, Gerard, this is Frank. Frank, this is Ray and Gerard,” Mikey said introducing the two. Ray smiled at Frank and greeted him as he sat down in the chair next to Mikey. Gerard, however, was another story. The red head simply stared at him in surprise. Frank could tell he wasn’t trying to stare to be mean, but he also couldn’t determine what was so interesting about himself that Gerard would stare.

“G, you okay?” Mikey’s voice seemed to bring Gerard to his senses.

“Oh yeah, um, hi Frank,” Gerard said quickly. At that moment, the teacher walked into the room as the bell rang.

“Alright class. Some of you know who I am, for those of you who don’t, I’m Mr. Smith but you can simply call me Smith if you so prefer. Today is about me getting to know you and you getting to know your peers. As you know, this is a free music period so there will be very few assignments, but they will be projects that last a while. So first thing’s first, who plays what. When I call your name, tell me the instrument you play. Okay first, Bob.”

“Drums,” a voice called out. Smith took his time to write on a paper before calling the next name. As he went down the list, everyone called out their respective instruments. The class wasn’t very large and soon it was Frank’s turn,

“Frank Iero. That’s a great last name! What do you play?” Smith asked. Frank was completely surprised that Mr. Smith had managed to pronounce his last name correctly, that was a first today.

“Guitar,” Frank said with a newfound confidence in his voice. Smith nodded and grinned as he wrote the note down on his paper. Frank felt a tap on his knee and looked up to see Ray smiling at him.

“I play guitar too! We should work together sometime!” he said and Frank nodded back with a smile. It was a different feeling to have someone actually _want_ to work with him. Different, but really nice. Maybe this would be something he could get used to. Having friends again.


	3. Different Worlds - Gerard

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been a while since I updated, but here's the third chapter!
> 
> Hope you like it! Comments would be lovely by the way (;

The boy was beautiful. Absolutely stunning. Gerard couldn’t take his eyes off him and was shocked when the boy walked toward him. Or was he walking toward Mikey?

As the boy got closer, Mikey began to speak, but Gerard heard none of it. He simply continued to stare until Mikey spoke again directly to his brother. He did, however, just barely catch the boy’s name.

“G, you okay?” That was the second time that day that Mikey had asked if he was okay.

“Oh yeah, um, hi Frank,” Gerard said quickly before blushing and looking away just as Smith walked into the room. Gerard drowned out Smith’s usual first day rant and began listing off names. The thoughts of Frank continuously ran through his head. And when Frank had announced that he played guitar, Gerard held his breath. He didn’t know he was holding it until his name was called and he was forced to speak.

“Piano,” he squeaked out loud enough for Smith to hear. There was a pause and Gerard looked up at Smith, only to meet his concerned face, one eyebrow raised. Usually Gerard was a lot more confident and spoke with a certain tone. But to squeak out his words was something new, and almost everyone noticed.

“Is something wrong Gerard?” Smith questioned, raising an eyebrow. The question caused Gerard to snap his head up from where he had been looking at his hands wringing nervously in his lap. He was getting impatient about not being able to play the gorgeous, shining piano yet. He cleared his throat before speaking again.

“No, everything is fine.” Smith seemed to either understand or buy into Gerard’s lie. He heard Mikey’s name called and his little brother’s answer. Only about five more names were called and Gerard was relieved to hear Smith releasing them to play freely for the day. He took the opportunity to walk as quickly as he could without running toward his favorite piano. The smooth keys were almost his to dance his fingers across, to relieve some of his stress. He doesn’t hesitate to throw open the door to one of the recording booths and scurry to sit on the hard, black bench. A sigh of relief escaped him as he pushed the cover off of the keys, revealing eighty-eight shining and clean keys. Just as he was going to begin playing, a hand fell lightly on his shoulder.

“Okay, what is really going on?” Smith’s voice was soft above Gerard. Hands frozen above the piano keys, Gerard glanced at the door to see if it was shut. His gaze proved that it was both closed and locked. He lazily dropped his hands into his lap and turned to face Smith, feeling defeated. Somehow, his favorite teacher always knew how he was feeling and it was almost annoying. There was no hiding feelings as soon as Gerard stepped into the music room.

“I don’t know exactly. My head has been killing me all day and I’m absolutely exhausted,” Gerard said, telling the partial truth. It’s not exactly easy telling a teacher flat out that you’re completely distracted by a boy you just met, especially when you aren’t sure of yourself.

“Gerard, I’ve known you for almost four years, I know there is more.” The tone in Smith’s voice made Gerard’s head drop. He realized that he wouldn’t be able to hide anything.

“Well, there has been another issue pressing in my mind. But I’ve never really voiced it to anybody,” he said with a certain hesitance. Smith’s eyebrows raised as the boy’s voice trailed off. A silence fell between the two that only rose the tension in the room. Gerard shuffled around on the seat, wringing his hands in his lap. He had never told anyone of the issue at hand, not even his own brother. He had always suppressed the thoughts and feelings he had been having. But it wasn’t like he was actively dating all the time either. With his reputation, it would be believed that he would have his choice of any girl in the school, but he was never interested in pursuing anything. However, he knew if any of his thoughts were revealed to any of his peers, his reputation could potentially go down the drain. The silenced persisted and Gerard squirmed under Smith’s gaze.

“Well?” Smith pushed. Gerard’s eyes darted toward the window between them and the rest of the class. Nobody seemed to be paying attention to them, but he still lowered his voice.

“Frank.” Smith seemed to understand as soon as Gerard said the name. He sighed and motioned for Gerard to move over to make room on the bench. Smith sat down next to his student and looked over with a sympathetic look. “I know it’s stupid but…”

“No, Gerard it’s not stupid. It’s just a surprise, I guess. What about Frank is the problem?” Smith’s voice was soft and patient, surprising Gerard.

“Um… I… I don’t… I don’t know?” he struggled to get out. His head began to throb again making his thoughts run in several different ways. He put his head in his hands and closed his eyes in an attempt to make the pain stop. Smith placed a gentle hand on his back and began rubbing soothing circles.

“Do you think, you could possibly be attracted to him?” Smith asked quietly. Gerard snapped his head up at the question, eyes wide and confused. He stared at his teacher until he was forced to blink. “Gerard I’ve never seen you this way. It’s entirely possible and nothing to be ashamed of okay? I’ll let you play, but I’m here if you need someone to talk to.”

And with that, Smith stood and walked out of the studio leaving Gerard frozen and still blinking at the wall. After a few moments, he regained his composure and pushed his red locks from his forehead before turning back around to the piano. With shaking fingers, he lightly pressed his fingers to the cold keys and let out a breath he had been holding. Everything around him began to slip away. The tension in his shoulders began to relax and the shaking in his hands ceased. His headache melted and his thoughts disappeared. All that was left was the piano and himself. His eyes closed and a smile slowly crept across his face. Nobody else in the world mattered in that moment.

As he played, Gerard allowed himself to be transported elsewhere. He was incredibly private about his piano playing, only playing for other people if necessary, making it a treat to anyone who had the opportunity to hear it.

How much time had passed playing, he didn’t know, but a crash to his left stopped him with his fingers still hovering above the piano. Gerard’s eyes opened slowly and his smile faded as he turned his head toward the noise. As soon as he found the source of the sudden noise, every muscle suddenly tensed back up and his eyes widened. Frank stood part of the way in the studio door looking at his shoes.

“Um, I was just coming to tell you that the bell rang and that um… Mikey and Ray already left to their um, lockers.” Frank’s cheeks turned almost as deep red as Gerard’s hair as he cautiously made eye contact before looking back down, his hands shoved deeply into his pockets. Every few seconds of silence, Frank would look back up only to look down once more after seeing the shock on Gerard’s face. “Also, um… You’re really talented… by the way.”

It took another moment before Gerard actually comprehended the situation and mumbled out, “Oh, thanks.”

Gerard covered the piano keys again and stood up, expecting Frank to have already walked out. But when he started out the door, slinging his bag onto his shoulder, Frank was still there staring at him. Gerard looked at the younger boy expectantly and slightly coughed, prompting an answer from the junior.

“Oh, uh, I kinda forgot where my locker is and Mikey had said earlier that mine was, um, right near yours. Do you think I could uh, walk with you?” A blush began to creep up Frank’s cheeks as he stumbled over his words. A small smirk began to appear on Gerard’s face as he realized that Frank was actually _nervous_ around _him._

“Of course. Let’s go!” A new found confidence crept into the senior as he strode past Frank who followed him timidly. The shorter boy struggled to keep up with Gerard’s strides as the two made their way down the halls. It wasn’t a terribly far walk so the two stayed silent until Mikey and Ray were in sight by their lockers. That’s when a realization suddenly washed over Gerard stopping him dead in his tracks causing Frank to run right into his back.

“Gerard wha-,” Frank started.

“You heard me playing…” Gerard mumbled into the air. His brother and friend hadn’t noticed them yet to Gerard’s relief. The way his eyes were wide and his face flushed would have sent Mikey into a panic.

“Wait what? I can’t hear you,” Frank pushed as he moved to Gerard’s side in order to look at the boy he had just run into.

“You heard me playing…” Gerard repeated. “You heard me playing piano. And I didn’t know.”

Every muscle in Gerard’s body had tensed up and he stiffly attempted to walk away from Frank as quickly as possible. He couldn’t stand the fact that someone had listened to him play without his permission. When he played, Gerard was always transported to his own world, a world he didn’t want to share unless absolutely necessary. And Frank listening was _not_ necessary.

“Gerard what’s wrong?” Frank called as he ran up behind the red head who had finally made it to his own locker. By now, both Ray and Mikey had caught onto the fact that something had happened and turned to face the oldest of the group.

“Gerard what the hell happened?” Mikey demanded as Gerard flung his locker open almost violently.

“He heard me playing.” It only came out as a whisper, but Mikey heard, and understood right away.

“Oh no,” the younger brother muttered. It took a moment but Ray finally comprehended what Gerard had said and understood what needed to be done. He turned and grabbed Frank by the shoulders, directing him away from the brothers and toward the new kid’s locker. Mikey took a step closer to his brother and lowered his voice so it was only heard between the two of them. “Gee it’s okay. Don’t panic, he couldn’t have heard much.”

“He still heard me…” Gerard’s voice trailed off so quietly that Mikey almost missed it. He sighed and placed his hands on Gerard’s shoulders. Gerard’s hands were shaking uncontrollably between the two of them. He felt his heart rate begin to pick up and his head began to spin. He felt arms wrap around him as he buried his head into his younger brother’s shoulder. No words passed between the two until the shaking ceased and Mikey finally pulled away, Gerard’s head still down.

“Hey I’ll drive home okay? But you should know that Frank is coming with us” Gerard’s eyes widen again as his head snapped up. “You don’t have to sit next to him okay? And as soon as we get home, you can go lock yourself in your room alright?”

Gerard nodded and handed the blonde the keys to his car. Mikey already had his license but didn’t actually own a car meaning that Gerard had to drive the pair everywhere. Gerard slowly closed his locker and shuffled forward. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Mikey jerk his head, signaling for Frank and Ray to follow.

As they reached the car, Gerard slipped into the passenger seat without even raising his eyes to see Frank slip into the seat behind him. The ride home started silent until Mikey began to discuss some topic with Ray that Gerard completely ignored. The tension between the front passenger seat and the seat behind was so palpable that every few seconds Gerard was forced to shift around slightly. A sigh of relief left him as Mikey pulled into the driveway. But rather than rushing into the house first, Gerard took his time, allowing everyone else to enter the house before himself. However, as soon as he closed the front door behind him, Gerard was gone.

And he didn't plan on leaving his room until Frank was gone.


End file.
